How Do These Things Happen?

How did the Nazis ever gain power in 1930's Germany?

Preaching a message of German pride, Hitler cajoled and coddled his way into power, assuring everyone that his only concern was restoring the German nation.

V. Putin has followed A. Hitler's lead. With the press under state control, opposition candidates such as Gary Kasparov being arrested, voting irregularities that are usually seen only in certain Chicago wards - Mr. Putin's success was a foregone conclusion and utterly invalid. He will retain the power, even if he does step down and give the title to someone else. When you've been ruled by monarchs and communist dictators for hundreds of years, perhaps the the thought of democracy is too scary - like actually taking responsibility for yourself. If things don't go right, then the monarch or the state can be blamed - but not out loud.

Then we have Benito Jr. in Venezuela who has asked everyone to remain calm. Why not, he still has five more years before his term expires. If you think he's been beaten, you are sadly mistaken. You are only beaten when you stop trying, and Hugo will not stop trying. Congratulations to the people of Venezuela for their vote - just be aware that this was only a battle, not the war.

The biggest revelation of the day: the combined intelligence reports that indicate Iran stopped it's militarily sponsored program to develop a nuclear weapon in 2003. The general consensus now is that the 3,000 centrifuges could be used to develop weapons grade material, but are not currently being used in that fashion - at least as far as anyone knows.

I'm certain that our intelligence services have undergone a dramatic overhaul, and I'm willing to accept their assessment. They also concur that the sanctions have been effective, so we're in a position to consult with our allies and continue negotiations; never, ever taking anything off the table - TR's stick is still useful in the 21st century.

Even while Hitler was schmoozing Neville Chamberlain, the pages of Mein Kempf contained the blueprint for what was to come.

Ahmahdinejahd, denier of the holocaust, has stated repeatedly that Israel will be wiped from the face of the earth.

Nuclear weapons are the quickest way I know of to do that.

Trust with verification is still the order of the day.

Do They Never Learn?

There are times when all the stars align just perfectly, and the vagaries of life come together to give just desserts to those without a Twinkie. This week we have been provided with two examples, one that warmed my heart, and another that chilled it.

A Rush To Judgement

Up to this point I have refrained, other than a brief mention in passing, from referring to the letter that Dirty Harry Reid and the rest of the senatorial lemmings sent to Clear Channels, accusing Rush Limbaugh of denigrating "phony soldiers". As I write this on Friday morning, the bid for the letter on Ebay is now over $2 million - and Rush has pledged to match whatever amount is raised. The monies will go to fund the education of children who's parents have died in the line of duty, both military and police.

The reason I find this heartwarming: Rush took the thrown lemons, made lemonade, he's selling the lemonade, giving the proceeds to fund children's education, and the the lemon-throwers are left with a puckered look on their faces. I guess you could call the letter signers a bunch of dumb puckers.

Rush has challenged the puckered Democratic demogogues to match him, but don't expect any of them to step up to the plate. Their efforts to distance themselves from the "General Betrayus" ad were so pitiful, I almost felt sorry for them - almost. At least in this instance, I could understand the reason behind the action, even if it was pitifully transparent.

The "Randi Rhodes Right Wing Conspiracy"

This little item serves to further illustrate why Air Amerika is the most dismal radio endeavor ever attempted. Randi Rhodes, on air "talent" for Air Amerika, tripped and fell in NYC - perhaps she's as spastic physically as she is mentally, who knows. Before any of the facts were in, before anyone bothered to check to see exactly what happened, the Tweedle-Dum to her Tweedle-Dee, Jon Elliott, announced on air that she had been attacked be right-wing thugs.

Although he did apologize on air yesterday for jumping to conclusions, the damage was already done. If you'd like to see what I mean by damage, just Google the story and go to the "Village Voice" website. The reason I suggest you go there is not the story itself, but the postings that accompany the story. The "damage" is there to see for anyone who can read. The anger, hatred and vitriol are so disconcerting that I found I could only read a sampling before reaching my limit.

Once again we're being treated to the lunacy that partisanship generates. Having been an all too willing participant, and finding it almost impossible not backslide every now and then, I have no idea how we're going to get this country back together, but I can assure you that jumping to conclusions is not the way to do it.

When I see Putin and Ahmadinejad buddying up to each other, or when I see Benizir Bhutto almost assassinated in Pakistan by AQ/Taliban terrorists, I have all I need to fuel my paranoia - I don't need any help from the partisan wingnuts on either side of the aisle.

PS - I DON'T LOVE YOU

I'm adding this because I just saw a billboard on "Fox on Friends" that really warmed my heart. It seems a gentleman in Alabama, who just happens to own a billboard, feels much the same way as I do about Hugo Chavez, aka Bentio Jr. - he doesn't love him. His billboard has a picture of Hugo holding up a Citgo sign, and the caption reads: DON'T BUY GAS FROM THIS ASS!

I LOVE IT!

The Dynamic Duo

It really doesn't bother me all that much that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is coming to the U.N. again. After all, the U.N. is the world's bastion of civic dysfunction, so what better place for the freaky little goat-humper to show up and deliver yet another rambling sermon. I know the "goat-humper" bit is quite disrespectful, not really acceptable from a really-real writer - that's why it works for me.

What bothers me more is where the bandy-legged, bearded butt-monkey is going next. To my favorite South American country: Venezuela. We all know who lives in Venezuela: Benito Jr.

For review purposes: I think Hugo Chavez could be Benito Mussolini's grandson, and I think he will eventually share the same fate as Il Duce.

You think we should be worried about Iran getting nuclear capability? How far behind do think Chavez and Venezuela will be? Benito Jr. has already hinted that it may be in their future, but at this point I think he's just doing it to jerk our chain - but it won't always be that way. Cuba was an island, and JFK could blockade the nukes coming in. Developing the scientific ability and the necessary materials to construct a nuclear weapon can be done in a much more clandestine manner than just bringing in rocket launchers. It may just get to be a whole lot tougher to enforce the Monroe Doctrine in the 21st Century.

Yet we blithely go on filling up at Citgo stations and putting millions of dollars into the pockets of a South American lunatic dedicated to whatever is bad for us.

Come on and wake up Northern New York! Let's start the boycott here! Don't buy gas, don't purchase anything from someone who deals with Citgo. Making a stinking buck at the expense of your fellow countrymen is allowable - that's capitalism, but when it also works to the detriment of your fellow countrymen and increases a potential threat to their security, then it's time to look for a different distributor.

BOYCOTT CITGO -

PAY A FEW PENNIES MORE OUT OF YOUR POCKET

TO KEEP THE DOLLARS OUT OF HUGO'S POCKETS!

Brought to you courtesy of your friendly Northern New York troublemaker. If you like the caricatures, check out the Cox & Forkum website:

http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000802.html

The New "We Suck" Power Vacuum from Iran & Liberal America

"I can tell you there will be a power vacuum in the region. We are ready with other regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia, and the people of Iraq to fill this vacuum."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

It will be difficult to listen to the cut and run crowd after Labor Day, especially in light of the success of the change in strategy in Iraq, as well as today's telegraphic statement from Iran's head nutcase. In complete defiance of the stated and unstated objectives of Iran, the so called Progressive (aka Liberal) wing of the Democrat Party will again ask for a commitment to act as crazy as Ahmadinejad by trying to set a timeline for withdrawal.

When Herr Hitler was writing Mein Kampf after the abortive Beer Hall Putsch, he clearly outlined his strategy for lebensraum, or "living room". All Joe Stalin had to do was read the book and he would have known that Adolf was coming sooner or later. I wonder if Neville Chamberlain ever read the book? If he did not, he was remiss in not doing so. If he did read the book, and then went on to sign the Munich Agreement anyway, he was criminally inept.

Appeasement did not stop the Nazi's; it will not stop the terrorists; it will not stop Iran. You may choose to believe that Iran wants a nuclear capacity for peaceful purposes only. You may believe that we need to abandon the people of Iraq as soon as possible. If so, you have opted to stand along side other good men who chose to do nothing in the past. In the long run, it only means that more people will die as a result of the lack of action. The error of omission is only viewable in the rear view mirror. The supposed error of commission, our standing up for the freedom of others, is easy to assail in the here and now. The difficult task is sustaining the effort despite the inescapable desire for peace. How easy it is to fall under the sway of a false hope for peace through acquiescence.

I learned how to type in the summer of 1967 as a somewhat ambitious/bored-in-the-country sixteen year old. One of the sentences that I used to help hone my digital dexterity was the following:

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

I would amend that phrase today to read:

Now is the time for all good men to stand by their country -

not their party!